On November 17, 2025, 25-year-old NYPD Officer Sharjeel Waris was ambushed in Brownsville while guarding evidence at a homicide scene and was struck in the left side of his face by birdshot from a shotgun. Despite the wound and the chaos unfolding around him, Waris returned fire and the gunman was later found dead inside his apartment. The cold, hard facts of that morning show the raw danger our officers face every day simply by doing their jobs.
Waris was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, treated, and released the same day to a standing ovation from fellow officers who lined the sidewalk to salute him as he left. That public show of respect was more than ceremony — it was a recognition of courage under fire and a warning to anyone who would prey on innocent neighbors and the men and women who protect them. For a city that too often cowers at the first sign of disorder, this was a stark reminder of what real bravery looks like.
Police say the shooter, identified as 24-year-old Dashawn Larode, had been involved in an earlier deadly shooting that left 41-year-old Leroy Wallace dead outside the building. Officers found a shotgun shell in the vestibule and later recovered the weapon in Larode’s apartment after a brief standoff ended with him lying motionless on the kitchen floor. That sequence — an initial murder, an officer ambushed while processing evidence, and a rapid, dangerous escalation — is tragically familiar to anyone following the law-and-order collapse in too many neighborhoods.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office has opened a standard review into the civilian death, as is routine whenever a police action may have resulted in a fatality. Conservative readers should support clear, fair investigations that protect both the public and those who wear the badge, but we must also resist reflexive efforts to criminalize officers who face life-and-death decisions in an instant. Accountability is necessary, but it should not become a cudgel used to undermine the very people who put themselves in harm’s way for our safety.
This incident exposes the consequences of policies that have too often tied law enforcement hands and sent criminals a message of impunity. When officers are expected to do their jobs without adequate backing from city halls and prosecutors, citizens pay the price with fear and blood. If we value neighborhoods where kids can play and shopkeepers can open without dread, it’s time for leaders to prioritize public safety and give police the clear support and resources they need to keep the peace.
Two other NYPD officers heading to the scene were hurt in a crash while responding and were treated for minor injuries, underscoring how quickly one shooting can cascade into multiple emergencies. Every patrol shift, every response to a call, carries the risk of more than one life being endangered in an instant. That reality should harden our resolve, not our willingness to surrender ground to chaos.
Officer Waris walked out of the hospital to the applause of his comrades, a symbol of the grit and steadiness that still exist in our city’s finest. Let that applause be a call to action for responsible leaders, not a moment to be politicized and weaponized against those who protect us. We owe these men and women our gratitude, our backing, and a policy environment that ensures their courage isn’t wasted on a system that doesn’t respect them.
